Assam's Jintimani Kalita earns maiden India Women's Test call-up for South Africa tour

Assam cricketer Jintimani Kalita has earned her maiden call-up to the Indian women's Test team after being named in the squad for the upcoming all-format tour of South Africa in December.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squads on November 9, with Kalita finding a place in both the Test and One-Day International (ODI) teams. She has not been included in the T20 International squad.

The selection marks a significant milestone for the Assam cricketer, who will get an opportunity to represent India in the longest format of the game during the tour.

India will play one Test, three ODIs and three T20Is against South Africa. The tour will begin with the one-off Test in Gqeberha on December 9.

Smriti Mandhana will lead India across all three formats. Deepti Sharma has been named vice-captain of the Test and ODI squads, while Shafali Verma will serve as vice-captain of the T20I team.

The 15-member Test squad includes Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, wicketkeepers Richa Ghosh and Yastika Bhatia, Deepti Sharma, Sree Charani, Sneh Rana, Kranti Gaud, Nandni Sharma, Jintimani Kalita and Sayali Satghare.

Kalita has also been included in the 15-member ODI squad, which features largely the same group of players, with Vaishnavi Sharma replacing Sneh Rana.

The 17-member T20I squad includes Niki Prasad, G Kamalini, Anushka Sharma, Prema Rawat, Amanjot Kaur, Renuka Singh Thakur and Arundhati Reddy, alongside several players from the other two squads.

The South Africa tour schedule begins with the Test in Gqeberha on December 9, followed by the ODI series. The first ODI will be played in Paarl on December 16, the second in Cape Town on December 19 and the third in Bloemfontein on December 22.

The three-match T20I series will begin in Benoni on December 26. The final two matches are scheduled to be played in Potchefstroom on December 29 and 30.

Kalita's inclusion in the Test and ODI squads is a notable moment for Assam cricket, with the state set to see one of its players feature in India's national women's team on an international tour.